INSEC draws attention to the fact that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” halted Foreign Minister Bimala Rai Paudel’s participation in the 52nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, as the Nepali delegation from 27 February 2023 to 30 March 2023.
Chairperson of INSEC Dr. Kundan Aryal in a statement issued on 27 February, mentions that the Prime Minister’s decision to stop the visit at the last moment, contrary to the decision of the Cabinet under the Prime Minister’s leadership, has increased the peril of increasing world human rights community suspicions towards Nepal.
The press release states that the incident in which Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” halted Foreign Minister Bimala Rai Paudel, participation in the 52nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, (Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions- GANHRI) as the Nepalese delegation in Switzerland from 27 February to 30 March 2023, has increased the peril of the international human rights community’s suspicion towards Nepal. Official high-level participation of the Government of Nepal was necessary for the meeting as the delegation was elected to the Nepal Human Rights Council.
It is regretful that the Prime Minister did not consider the importance of the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the meeting which would demonstrate the commitment to human rights on behalf of Nepal.
In the context of the violation of human rights, humanitarian laws, and abuses during the armed conflict, the victims haven’t had access to justice and compensation yet, and the process of transitional justice has remained incomplete. It can be understood that the global forum of human rights is being ignored and may harm the international image of Nepal.